


The Video

by damaged_danzy



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Other, Real Madrid CF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 16:35:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11361315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damaged_danzy/pseuds/damaged_danzy
Summary: James stumbles on an old video of his two best friends making fun of him.





	The Video

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! jenn requested this a few weeks ago with this prompt: _Hey I saw you take requests? Can you write a fic about this video? https://youtu.be/0EufdFOotjM - Isco and Morata make fun of James' stutter. James finds out and is angry/disappointed/sad and Isco and Morata try to make it up to him? Thanks x_
> 
> I am soooooo sorry it took so long! But I finally wrote it and I hope you like it :)

James scanned through his email barely reading the message’s titles. He was waiting for some business arrangements to be settled. James didn’t like using email; it felt too impersonal and he couldn’t add a smiley face emoji without feeling like a five year old. He sighed as he kept scrolling through his inbox. He didn’t see anything that interested him until he was about to put his phone down. Near the bottom of his email, was a single message that read: _James, please watch this. I think it would change things._

James checked to see if there was an address from the sender, but there was just a blank line where the person’s name should be. James knew better than to click a random link, but there was something about this email that drawn him to it. 

_I think it would change things_

What things? James debated opening it. One option is that the email was a prank or a virus. Neither sounded good to him. But on the other hand, James knew he couldn’t leave the email unread. Clicking to open the message, James expected to see a long paragraph written out, but instead, there was just a link. Looking closer, James realized it was a YouTube link. He clicked the link before he could change his mind.  
Instantly, James was taken to a video titled ‘MORATA AND ISCO LAUGH AT JAMES’.

James’ heart instantly dropped. He felt like he shouldn’t be here. He felt like this was a joke. He was scared to click play, but he had to know what the video was about. He clicked the forward button and the video started.

It was an interview from over two years ago. It began with Isco and Alvaro congratulating the Spanish futbol team for playing so well. Isco and Alvaro, two of James’ closest friends, usually made him smile, but while watching the video, there wasn’t one trace of happiness on James’ face. James watched and listened as Isco laughed and stumbled over his words, but it wasn’t until Alvaro spoke that James felt his heart break.

_’Trying to be like James, huh?_

James swallowed the lump that had instantly formed in his throat. He couldn’t get their laughs out of his at the ‘joke’ that Alvaro made.

How could they have done that to him? He knew them at the point in the video, so why would they make fun of him for something he had no control over?

James threw his phone on the floor. Growing up with a stutter had made James’ childhood a nightmare. Luckily, he had grown to overcome it, but he still had his bad days. Isco and Alvaro knew James’ struggles. 

_Obviously they never cared. They probably laughed at me all the time behind my back_ , James reasoned with himself. _That’s all I am to them; a big stuttering joke._

James could feel his heart beating faster and as much as he was angry, he was also saddened. He blinked away the tears that were in his eyes. He checked the time and it was nearing ten o’clock. It was too late for a workout, which usually let James blow off some steam.

James, already lying in bed, reached over and set his alarm clock. He had an early practice tomorrow with the team. He didn’t care if he had to see Isco and Alvaro; there was no way he was going to talk to them. James punched his pillow a few times before getting comfortable. He reached over and turned the lamp off, leaving his room in total blackness. It didn’t take long for James to fall asleep. His dreams were full of childhood memories of kids taunting him and pretending to stutter at him.

It wasn’t a good night for James.

\---

James was already dressed and on the pitch before any of the other players arrived. Zidane was the only one present and he barely glanced at James. Cristiano, the player who was normally first, smiled when he saw James.

“James, you’re here! You usually lag around with Isco and Alvaro. It’s nice to see you.” 

James smiled. It hurt to hear Isco and Alvaro’s name. It was true though. James usually waited with Isco and Alvaro in the locker room. Alvaro would make so many jokes that they couldn’t put their uniform on at the same time because they would be doubling over with laughter. Or recently Alvaro and James had taken to making fun of how much hair gel Isco used. Once they even tried putting some in his beard.

James shrugged. “Just felt a change coming,” he told Cristiano. Cristiano was always nice to James and in many ways, James considered him a good friend.

Cristiano patted him on the shoulder. “Just let me know if you need anything.” He soon began a lap around the field, his speed increasing by the second.

James stood there simply watching. It wasn’t long until other players came on the pitch. Marcelo, Sergio, and then it seemed like everyone came at once. It wasn’t until ten minutes later that Isco and Alvaro came out laughing. They spotted James and ran over to him.

“James where were you? Alvaro was telling me about how he ate a handful of jellybeans this morning because he thought they were his daily vitamins.” Isco cackled, oblivious to James not cracking a smile. “Honestly how dumb is he? The fitness coaches are going to kill him for eating all that sugar.”

Alvaro rolled his eyes. “It was just a handful. And at least I didn’t let my dog take over my bed. That’s why you’re neck hurts so much because Messi wouldn’t move.”

“You’re just mad because Messi pissed on you that one time.”

Alvaro playfully tried shoving Isco’s shoulder, but Isco moved and instead Alvaro hit James in the shoulder.

“What the fuck?!” James exclaimed. The punch in the shoulder instantly reminded him of the video from last night and how that was a punch to his heart. “Watch what you’re doing Alvaro. You’re always doing the stupidest shit.”

Alvaro’s mouth dropped and Isco’s eyes widened. James had always been the more soft-spoken one of the group. 

“It was an accident,” Alvaro apologized. “Isco had to be a dipshit and move.”

Isco held his hands feigning innocence. “What’s wrong James? Are you okay? I knew something must have been wrong when I didn’t see you in the locker room.”

James laughed. “What’s wrong? I thought you guys were my friends. How stupid was I to think that?”

Alvaro’s eyebrows rose. “What are you talking about? We are your friends; you’re best friends.”

James grabbed his phone from his shorts and hastily went to YouTube. He pulled the video up before shoving the phone in Alvaro’s and Isco’s faces. “Does this look familiar?” he asked. 

The video played as Isco and Alvaro’s faces fell and were replaced with a sad look. 

“James, that was a joke, it didn’t mean anything,” Isco replied. “I promise. You know how we are about things.”

“Yeah,” Alvaro agreed. “We treat everything like jokes. I thought that’s what you liked about us?”

“It was,” James said, “until you made fun of something that has caused me so much trouble. You guys know how much I struggle with my stutter.”

Alvaro looked pain. “James, I’m sorry.”

James shook his head. “No. I don’t want to hear anything. You guys did this interview and then pretend like it’s nothing. This was filmed around the time we started becoming good friends. Was I just a joke to you then?”

“James, please,” Isco started, but was soon cut off by a whistle blowing. 

James turned around to see that they needed to form lines to run suicides. James walked away before Isco or Alvaro could say anything. He could hear them calling his name, but James didn’t care.

He didn’t have time for people who hurt him.

\---

James was lying on his couch. It had been an extra-long day of practice. James came to realize that training with a bad attitude wasn’t a good idea. He flipped through the TV channels, but nothing was interesting. Nothing was even worth using as background noise. It wasn’t even eight o’clock but James felt like calling it an early day and going to bed. It wasn’t until he heard a knock on the door that made him change his mind.

James didn’t know who was at the door. Nobody had sent him a text or called him to tell him they were coming over. He hoped it was someone who accidentally knocked on the wrong door, but James soon heard the front door open up.

James instantly ran to the front door, not knowing who or what he was going to see.

Isco and Alvaro made their way through the doorframe. Isco closed the door behind him since Alvaro’s hands were full of balloons that read ‘Sorry I’m an Asshole’. 

James didn’t have time to start asking questions because Isco started talking like there was no tomorrow.

“James, you know how shitty me and Alvaro are. Please, you’re around us every day. You know how dumb we are. Yes we tease people, but we never mean to hurt them. We filmed that video a long time ago. I didn’t even remember that interview until you showed it to us. Please trust me when I say I’m sorry. Alvaro is too. We debated on coming here tonight, but neither of us would be able to go to sleep knowing that you were mad and disappointed with us. Please James, just listen to us.”

Seeing Isco plead with not only his words but his eyes made James consider.

“Okay, but can I ask something first?” James pondered.

Isco let out a sigh of relief. “Yes, anything.”

“Where did you two get ‘Sorry I’m an Asshole’ balloons at, especially on short notice?”

Alvaro spoke up. “I’ve had them for a while actually. I knew that there would probably be on occasion where I needed them and this seemed like the perfect opportunity because honestly I am an asshole.” He shrugged. “It’s true. I make fun of everybody and I don’t know when to stop sometimes. You heard what Isco said; we’re dumb. But James you have to realize I never meant to hurt you. You’re one of my best friends.” Alvaro let go out of the balloons and they flew to the ceiling. “Please.” He put his hands together as if pleading.

James looked at his two best friends in front of him. As long as he had known them, he had never seen them so upset. James hated that he caused them to be this way, but he couldn’t shake off how he had felt earlier.

James motioned for them to follow him through the little hallway into the living room. James sat on one couch while Isco and Alvaro sat together on the couch opposite of him.

“I just felt so… hurt when I watched that video,” James admitted. “I had to watch my two best friends make fun of something that has caused me so much pain. I’ve told you guys how my stutter has affected me. I even remember you two telling people off for making fun of me. So to see you two guys laughing about it just hurt me so much. 

“We’re sorry James, we really are,” Isco begged while Alvaro nodded in agreement. “Feel free to punch us in the face, but please forgive us.”

James looked at them. James had always been a softie. He wanted to be mad at them, but he could see true forgiveness in their eyes. James slowly smiled. “Okay, I forgive you too. But if I ever have to watch or read something like that video again, I’m pretending that you two don’t exist.”

Alvaro stood up and clapped. “I can’t complain about that! Bring the cake in Isco.”

“Cake?” James looked around. “Isco didn’t bring anything.”

Alvaro explained as Isco went outside to get the cake from the car. “We were really hoping you would forgive us. We were going to stay all night if we had too. We had a cake made at the bakery before driving over here. You’ll see it in a minute.”

Isco soon came in carrying a cake. On it was a puppy that said ‘sorry we suck’.

“We got a puppy because it was already premade. So just ignore how happy he looks,” Isco said. “You should have seen the look on the baker when we told him to write we suck.”

“Well we tipped him double so he shouldn’t be complaining.”

James leaned back on the couch as Alvaro brought plates back from the kitchen. Isco had turned the TV on and put it on a cooking channel. Isco and Alvaro always made themselves home at James’ house. James didn’t mind though. Yes, he had been angry and hurt by Isco and Alvaro’s video, but making mistakes was part of being human. James wouldn’t want to end his friendship with them for the world. As long as he had his two trouble making buddies by his side, James would always be happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I do take requests. I might be slow in getting them wrote, but I promise I will. :)
> 
> Also my Spanish isn't great so I kind of guessed what they were saying in the video


End file.
